The Wonderful World Of Penguins
Learning Sequence
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Introduction With Gavin
Watch the video with Gavin, which explores the topic of King Penguins in front of one of the world’s biggest colonies. Encourage your class to take notes and make any necessary notes and even draw pictures as the video is being played, so they can refer to them later.
After the video, allow your class to ask questions to clarify any further questions they might have regarding the content explored. Make a note of these questions, so you can address them as the lesson progresses. This will help ensure that your students have a better understanding of the topic and are able to engage with it effectively.
In this lesson, we will start to discuss the wonderful world of penguins. Penguins are some of the most well-known birds in the Southern Ocean. These flightless birds are experts at swimming and diving, with their streamlined bodies and flippers that allow them to navigate the water with ease.
They also have thick layers of feathers and blubber to insulate them from the cold, making them well-equipped for life in the harsh environment of the ocean. The largest penguin colony on Earth is estimated to be around 2,000,000. How amazing!!
There are several species of penguins that live in Antarctica, including the Adelie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, King, Macaroni, and Rockhopper and this week we are going to meet a few of them!
Course Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this course. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Key Quote - Gavin McCormack
Let’s start by reading a quote, talking about what it means to further understand how we can use these words as lessons to learn from.
Read the following quote and discuss it with your class.
Read this quote and think about what it means and what we can learn from it to make the world a better place!
You may want to note it down in your notebook and draw a nice picture next to it!
Comprehension Activity - Penguins
We have provided you with a reading comprehension activity. This can be done independently or tackled as a guided reading activity with your students.
Once the children have read the relevant information, they can then work through the comprehension questions until they become too hard, The four levels of questions allow for your students to push themselves until they become too difficult. They may wish to use classroom resources to solve the questions they find too hard or they can be used as extension activities to be completed in free time or at home.
Read the information opposite on the penguins and use the information gained from the video above and attempt to answer as many of the comprehension questions as possible.
You may talk to the people in the classroom and use any resources available in the classroom to get the answers. You may even wish to continue your research at home on the questions that you could not solve.
Remember to answer the questions in full sentences and make notes of any diagrams that may help you remember the facts at a later date!
Animal Population Bar Graph
In this lesson, students will develop their research skills and learn to accurately report statistics using graphs and bar charts. They will focus on researching the population of key animals in the Antarctic region and completing a graph based on their findings.
Additionally, students will explore the concept of population data for the top ten most populous animal species in their own country or continent, creating their own graphs. This activity promotes data analysis, graph interpretation, and effective communication of statistical information.
This week, we will be conducting research on the population of key animals in the Antarctic region. As depicted in the diagram provided, there are a multitude of animals in this area that need to be accounted for.
Your task is to utilize the graph we have given you and conduct research to fill in the missing population numbers, thereby completing the graph.
Once you have become familiar with plotting bar graphs, we would like you to research the top ten most populous animal species in your own country or continent and create your unique graph.
Do the numbers you discover concern you? Perhaps you are surprised by the lower tiger population in India or the significant number of camels in central Australia. If these findings trouble you, remember that you have the power to take action. Use your voice to raise awareness about the issues you uncover.
Gathering Information - Gentoo Penguins
This lesson emphasizes the development of listening and research skills. Students will watch a video about Gentoo Penguins, then individually research different penguin species to choose their favourite.
They will practice active listening and utilise research skills to gather information for creating an information report on their chosen species.
Please watch the following video about Gentoo Penguins. This week’s assignment is to conduct in-depth research on each type of penguin and determine your favorite among them.
I personally find the Gentoo Penguin fascinating. After you have made your decision, we will work on creating an information report specifically focusing on your chosen species.
To help you with your research, I recommend watching the following video, as it will provide you with ideas for the types of research questions you can use for your information report.
Penguin Information Report
In this lesson, students will learn about creating information reports. They will understand that an information report is a non-fiction document that presents facts about a specific topic.
The focus will be on teaching students how to gather information from various sources and organize it using paragraphs, titles, subheadings, diagrams, pictures, bullet points, and fun facts.
The students will also be encouraged to create visually appealing reports that can be shared with others or used as teaching resources.
In this activity, we are excited to invite you to create your very own information report. An information report is a non-fiction document that helps people easily find information about a chosen topic.
Before you begin, please review the example provided and ensure that you gather information from various reliable sources. Use the provided template as a guide. Once you have completed your report, you may consider sharing it, making copies, and using it as a resource to teach a small class.
Remember, your report should include paragraphs, titles, subheadings, diagrams, pictures, bullet points, and fun facts. Make sure it is visually appealing. Good luck!
A Class Letter to Save the Penguins - Teamwork
During this session, students will develop their persuasive writing skills while exploring real-world issues. They will learn about persuasive devices, such as persuasive language and letter structure, to effectively communicate their concerns and suggestions.
The focus will be on using these skills to write persuasive letters to Environment Ministers, advocating for the protection of ice caps and penguins. This activity promotes critical thinking, research, and real-world application of writing skills, empowering students to make a difference through their persuasive voices.
As you now know, the penguins of Antarctica rely on ice for their survival. With global warming affecting our planet, it’s crucial for us to take immediate and serious action.
This week, we want you to use your voice to help save the ice and protect the penguins. Here are your objectives:
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Read the task card provided, which lists nine actions governments can take to protect the ice caps.
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Find out the name and address of the Environment Minister in your country.
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Use these ideas as inspiration to write a letter to the Environment Minister, expressing your concerns and offering suggestions.
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Once your entire class has finished their letters, visit the post office and send it.
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Be patient and wait for a reply. If you don’t receive a response, don’t be discouraged—write again!
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Remember, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” and today you will use the most powerful weapon of change—your voice!
Let's Sketch With Jordan - Bird Sketching
Let’s explore a fascinating animal from the Antarctic and have your students draw it using simple sketching techniques and just a pencil and paper.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have Jordan Brun from Young Art USA as our guide throughout this process.
Let your students take a look at the task card with Jordan’s example, and then they can use the video below as a guide to attempt to draw the same thing using Jordan’s techniques.
Once your students have mastered the technique, you might want to let them make a final version on special art paper, which could be used as a portfolio piece or framed and given as a present.
Here’s an amazing picture taken in Antarctica. We want you to try and recreate it using simple sketching techniques and shading. Our friend Jordan will be helping you along the way, so don’t worry!
To help you get better at drawing, we have a task card that you can use. Once you become an expert at sketching, you can transfer your drawings onto nice paper and give them away as presents.
Remember, you don’t have to make your drawings look exactly like Jordan’s. Make them special and be proud of what you create!
Sketch With Jordan - Video
Let your students watch the video as a visual aid to help them create fantastic sketches. It’s also a good idea for you to watch the video and learn from Jordan alongside the students.
For this sketch, talk to your students about beginning with basic shapes that they recognize to create the simple overall form of the albatross. Have them create the larger areas before focusing on the smaller ones to get proportion down.
Details and differences between dark and light portions should be the last things they focus on.
If the students see that you’re invested in the project too, they’ll be even more excited to complete these tasks as a team.
Jordan has created a brief video to aid you in your drawing and shading. Watch the video to improve your drawing abilities, and remember that you can continue practicing your sketching outside of class to become a skilled artist like Jordan.
Best of luck!
Create With Jordan - Black and White (Short Video)
Activity: Black and White Animal Contrast
Core Curriculum Connection: Science
Elemental Foci: Color, Shape, Value
Principle Foci: Emphasis, Contrast, Unity
Goal: Students will be able to create visual contrast and unity to observe camouflage and contrast.
Criteria:
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Create a series of simple compositions using a variety of colors and values. (Greens for Forests, Yellows and Browns for Savannahs, and Blues for the Antarctic/Arctic)
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Modify these color compositions with black and white for a wider range.
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Print out or draw animals that have black and white contrasting colors on their skin/fur/feathers.
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Arrange the animals upon the surfaces of your compositions and discuss which stand out and which become camouflaged.
Relevance: Through this project, students will become familiar with how animal color and environment play a part in how the animals are perceived
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Here’s an art activity related to what we’ve been learning about in class. It’s an opportunity for you to enhance your artistic abilities and learn more about the amazing things that exist in the Antarctic region.
Take a look at the video on the other side and then do your best to follow Jordan’s guidance to make the world a better place with your creative skills.
To fully understand what we will be creating, you may wish to watch the full video below before starting.
Let’s get creative!
Let's Create With Jordan - Full Video
Watch the video with your class and support them as they use the skills demonstrated in the video in their own work tasks.
Watch Jordan’s full video here before starting your creative art project and remember that your work does not need to match Jordan’s exactly. Use it as a guide and try to make your work unique and be as creative as you.